Reasons Why You Might Be Sleeping Too Much

We’ve all probably napped a little bit too much at some point, either on purpose or completely by accident. Waking up feeling more tired and groggy than you did before you went to sleep can indicate that you may have slept too much.

If you are sleeping too much, there may be underlying reasons why it keeps happening. There are various ways you can get enough sleep without overdoing it. Read on to learn more about how you can improve your sleep quality if you find yourself sleeping too much.

How Much Should You Sleep?

Everyone has their own unique needs. The right amount of sleep for one person might be too much sleep for another person. Conversely, the right amount of sleep for one person might not be enough sleep for someone else. Most experts agree that the average amount of sleep for a healthy adult typically falls between seven to nine hours per night. 

Finding a happy medium between the time you spend awake and the time you spend asleep may take some time, but establishing good sleep hygiene will help you learn your ideal sleep/wake homeostasis. If you’re still regularly requiring more than nine hours of sleep per night, it may be time to talk with your healthcare provider to rule out any underlying health problems. 

Signs That You Might Be Sleeping Too Much

Sleep begets sleep sometimes. Excessive sleeping habits can actually perpetuate other signs that make you feel like you’re not getting enough sleep. For instance, oversleeping and feeling drowsy throughout the day instinctively suggest that you need more sleep. 

Of course, sleeping in after you’ve had a stressful week or when you’re sick can actually help you recover. Regularly requiring more than 10 hours of sleep per night could be cause for concern. 

Sleep is one of the most important functions every day. Like food or even water, too much can be just as bad as too little. This is what to watch out for if you’re concerned that you may be getting too much sleep.

• Problems with productivity
• Lowered energy levels during the day
• Anxious feelings
• Memory problems
• Daytime sleepiness
• Unresolved, excessive fatigue even after proper amounts of sleep
• Hallucinations

It’s possible that you are someone who requires more sleep than the average person, and that’s okay. If you’ve historically needed more sleep than your peers, it’s more likely that you are not sleeping too much, especially if you don’t have any negative effects. 

If your sleep-wake cycle or sleep duration has recently become excessive or problematic, though, there might be a reason why you’re sleeping too much.

Reasons You Might Be Sleeping Too Much

Sleeping after a long week at work or when you have a cold is normal. Sometimes there are other factors that can lead to you sleeping too much.

Here are some factors that might lead to sleeping too much: 

• Heart issues: Researchers aren’t sure why this occurs, but sleeping an excess amount has a strong correlation to heart issues. On the other hand, sleeping too little can be a risk factor. Just one more indication that proper sleep is important to your health.
• Mental Health issues: Oversleeping while in a low mental state is probably one of the most widely known causes of excessive sleep. Unfortunately, sleeping too much can also make symptoms worse. Not being in the best mental state can make you feel fatigued, so in turn, you sleep a lot. 
• Sleep troubles: Feeling the need for more sleep suddenly can be a sign that you’ve had a decline in the quality of your sleep. 
• Medications: Sometimes, the reason you’re suddenly sleeping to excess is as simple as your newest prescription. The drowsiness brought on by some medications may lead you to sleep more, but it’s important that you never discontinue medication without talking with your healthcare provider.
• Thyroid issues: Your thyroid doesn’t get enough credit for being one of the most important organs in the body. Hormones play a major role in your quality of sleep, and if your thyroid is underperforming in its production of certain hormones, it can make you feel exhausted and cause excessive sleep.
• Sleep disturbances: Like RLS - restless legs syndrome (unpleasant sensations in the legs) can cause you to oversleep when you're finally able to fall into REM sleep or deep sleep.

Determining the cause of your oversleeping may require a medical professional and a possible sleep study. There are ways you can improve your sleep quality, though, to help give you the best chance at the right amount of sleep. 

Improving Your Sleep Quality

Improving your sleep habits can help give you a more balanced and restful night’s sleep. Here are some practical ways to improve your sleep quality.

1. Setting a Sleep Routine

Following a bedtime routine, every night before bed will set you up for a successful night of sleep. A few examples of good nightly habits that you could add into your routine include a warm bath, a complex carbohydrate snack, turning off screens, reading a book, and taking a nightly supplement or a hot cup of relaxing tea. A sleep routine that includes a regular time for going to bed and a consistent time for waking up can help ensure that you don’t sleep too much.

As you’re attempting to make your sleep routine a true habit, it may be necessary to turn to a natural supplement like Complete Calm Sleep Gummies to support healthy sleep patterns and stay asleep until your alarm goes off in the morning.

2. Exercise Daily

Most adults need to get around 150-180 minutes of exercise each week. 30 minutes of your day on most days devoted to exercise is all you need to get the health benefits of exercise, and your sleep health may improve. If you’ve been sleeping too much, you can certainly reason with yourself that there’s very little reason to avoid exercise.

Exercise can also go a long way to help with many of the underlying causes associated with excessive sleep.

3. Keep It Cool

It’s recommended that you sleep in an environment with a temperature that averages around 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Excessive heat can cause our bodies to feel sluggish from the work it takes to regulate our body temperatures. Keeping your sleep environment cool can help you get cozy and sleep better. 

If your room is cool enough, you may also want to be sure that your room is dark enough and quiet enough for quality sleep. 

4. Stay Hydrated

Not drinking enough fluids regularly can lead to chronic dehydration. This can cause a reduction in your body’s amino acid levels. This can lead to reduced melatonin production, a crucial hormone in the body’s circadian rhythms and helps cue the body up for sleep. Staying sufficiently hydrated can help regulate our bodies and improve our sleep.

Just remember to be mindful of when you hydrate. Too many fluids before bed can lead to excessive sleep disruptions because of the increase in nighttime urination. This won’t keep you from feeling tired, and it could continue your oversleeping. As you may know, alcohol and caffeine have adverse effects on your sleep quality. These can cause headaches or keep you up at night, causing excessive daytime sleepiness.

5. Supplement Your Sleep

Sometimes we all need a little help. Even with a sleep routine, proper exercise, a cool sleep space, and sufficient hydration, it’s still possible that your sleep quality isn’t what you hoped. 

For example, if chronic dehydration or age has caused you to have low melatonin levels, some supplements can help you naturally improve your sleep quality. Complete Calm Sleep Gummies can be taken 30 minutes to an hour before you’re ready to fall asleep. The terpene blend and other ingredients will help you start to feel calmer and more relaxed quickly, and you can still wake up feeling refreshed. 

Summary

The right amount of sleep is important to your health. It’s easy for most to understand the dangers of too little sleep, but it’s possible to sleep too much too. It’s essential to know the possible reasons for sleeping too much, and it’s even more important to do what you can to improve the quality of your sleep so you can get back to a more normal, balanced sleep schedule. 

Sources:

How Much Sleep Do I Need? - Sleep and Sleep Disorders | cdc.gov 

Sleep Conditions Sleep/Wake Cycles | hopkinsmedicine.org

Sleeping too little – or too much | aasm.org